Conservator

**COMPANY DESCRIPTION**

Singapore Art Museum opened in 1996 as the first art museum in Singapore. Also known as SAM, we present contemporary art from a Southeast Asian perspective for artists, art lovers and the art curious in multiple venues across the island, including a new venue in the historic port area of Tanjong Pagar.

SAM is building one of the world's most important public collections of Southeast Asian contemporary art, with the aim of connecting the art and the artists to the public and future generations through exhibitions and programmes. SAM is working towards a humane and sustainable future by committing to responsible practices within its processes.

**RESPONSIBILITIES**

The Conservator will report to the Head of either Inorganic or Organic Objects team at the Heritage Conservation Centre and to the Director for Curatorial & Collections at the Singapore Art Museum. The Conservator is expected to conserve the National Collection and fulfil operational and administrative duties as part of exhibition and acquisition projects in accordance with procedures and project timelines and participate in selected projects and events as agreed by both institutions.

**DESCRIPTION OF COLLECTIONS AND WORK LOCATIONS**:
Artworks and artefacts that are part of the National Collection are under the custody of the National Heritage Board (NHB), Singapore. NHB preserves, presents and promotes the cultural heritage of Singapore, for the purpose of education, nation-building and cultural understanding.

The Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC) is an institution of NHB that supports the collecting and display activities of 12 institutions under NHB and the Visual Arts Cluster. It is located in a purpose-built facility for the storage and conservation of all artworks and artefacts under the care of NHB. The collections include socio-historical, cultural, ethnographic, modern and contemporary artwork materials. HCC Conservation Services is constituted by a team of over 30 conservators and comprises 6 specialisations: organic objects conservation, inorganic objects conservation, paintings conservation, paper conservation, têxtiles conservation, and conservation science.

Singapore Art Museum opened in 1996 as the first art museum in Singapore. Known as SAM, the museum presents contemporary art from a Southeast Asian perspective for artists, art lovers and the art curious. SAM's mandate as a non-profit arts institution is to build one of the world's most important public collections of Southeast Asian contemporary art, to preserve, research, exhibit and connect the art and the artists to the public and future generations through thought-provoking exhibitions and meaningful programmes.

**KEY RESPONSIBILITIES**:

- Carry out conservation assessments, documentation and treatments on the National Collection, focusing on but not limited to contemporary art, according to HCC and NHB procedures, instructions and guidelines for exhibits, loans, maintenance and research projects.
- Manage exhibition projects as liaison officer to cover conservation-related as well as administrative aspects of exhibition preparations including preventive conservation. This will require close collaboration with various internal and external stakeholders. It involves working on SAM's projects but not limited to it. This includes but is not limited to active involvement in exhibition planning and commissioning of new works including installation, de-installation, packing and storage and documentation.
- Provide preventive care for storage, transport, handling and display including advice on specialised mounting techniques, environmental settings for short
- or long-term display or storage and any other requirements whenever necessary.
- Deliver administrative work necessary for the laboratory and office to function day-to-day such as procurement, meeting administration and maintenance of records.
- To take on supervisory and mentoring responsibilities for assigned reportee/s (if any).
- Participate in ad-hoc duties and projects assigned, including working groups, committees or events organised by HCC, NHB, and SAM.
- Potentially conduct specialised conservation research projects to enhance collection knowledge and artefact significance while working in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders, in Singapore, the region and/or internationally, and respecting the various perspectives involved.
- Contribute, as time permits, in developing the professional field of conservation and care of contemporary art collection in and outside HCC, using appropriate means ranging from participating in outreach activities to increase awareness, involvement, and support of various types of audience, to presenting papers at professional conferences and/or publishing articles in peer-reviewed journals.

**QUALIFICATIONS**

**OTHER INFORMATION**
- Proven ability to and experience in carrying out comprehensive and complex conservation treatments/projects across div